Historical and Commemorative
Medals
Collection of Benjamin Weiss
25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE ACCESSION OF KING LEOPOLD I WIENER, Léopold: Belgium, 1856, Bronze, 74 mm Leopold I (1790-1865), the son of the Duke of
Saxe-Coberg-Saalfeld, in 1831 became the first king of Belgium. In 1816 he
had married the daughter of the future
King George IV of Great Britain. The
early part of his reign was marked by conflict with the Netherlands, who
initially refused to recognize the sovereignty of Belgium. He strengthened
Belgium through his neutrality on the Crimean War and through a network of
marriage alliances. Leopold was largely responsible for the marriage of his
niece
Queen Victoria of England to his nephew Prince
Albert. He was
succeeded by his son Leopold II.
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